A man was sent to Jashore General Hospital with suspected symptoms of monkeypox on return from India on Friday. Abbas Ali, 42, a resident of Daora village in Shailkupa upazila of Jhenaidah, went to India on June 3. He returned through Benapole this afternoon, said Raju Ahmed, officer-in-Charge (OC) of Benapole Immigration Police. Read: Turkish citizen who arrived at Shahjalal does not have monkeypox Abbas was rushed to the health centre after the immigration authority noticed  rashes on his body during screening, he added. Dr Mohsina Akhter Rumpa, health officer of Benapole checkpost primary health care centre said that nothing can be confirmed before medical tests  “The man was initially thought to be infected with chickenpox. However, he has been sent to Jashore General Hospital under special arrangements where senior officials will look after the matter,” she added. Earlier, a Turkish citizen, who showed suspected symptoms of monkeypox, was sent to hospital after arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on June 7. However, he was discharged from the hospital after tests found no  monkeypox virus. On May 22, the government instructed the authorities concerned to strengthen surveillance at land, air and sea ports for screening travellers coming to Bangladesh from countries with confirmed monkeypox cases. Read: No monkeypox case detected yet in Bangladesh: Health Ministry The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) issued a notice in this regard. According to the notice, monkeypox is not a new disease. It was found among people in West and Middle African countries in the past. Recently it has been detected among people living in European and American countries with no history of travelling African countries. People who contracted the virus or came close to the infected people should be listed as suspected patients of monkeypox, it said. The suspected patients or patients having symptoms should be taken to government hospitals or Infectious Diseases Hospital and kept in isolation and it should be reported to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).

An Indian returnee, who tested positive for Covid-19, has escaped from the isolation ward of Chuadanga Sadar Hospital on Tuesday. The Covid patient has been identified as Abul Kalam Azad, 45, son of Siraj Ali of Nandani village in Bholahat upazila of Chapainawabganj district. Resident medical officer of the hospital, Dr Wahid Mahmud Robin said the patient had been undergoing treatment in the red zone of the isolation ward of the hospital since January 9.  "He went missing from the hospital on Tuesday afternoon." Read: Global Covid cases surpass 333 million Kalam returned from India on January 9 through the Darshana border and tested positive for Covid-19. Later, he was taken to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital. On Tuesday morning, the hospital authorities collected his sample for retest and his results emerged negative, said Dr Wahid. "We suspect that Kalam left the hospital without informing anyone."

Government has relaxed the existing conditions for Bangladeshi passengers returning from India through Benapole. A circular signed by Director (disease control) of the Directorate General of Health Services(DGHS) professor Nazmul Islam was sent to the immigration department at Benapole on Sunday. The circular mentioned relaxation of conditions for four categories of Bangladeshi passengers. Also read: Indian traders suspend trade through Benapole to protest BSF harassment According to the notice, cancer and kidney disease patients or pregnant women and fully vaccinated passengers were exempted from the condition of staying in institutional quarantine but the authorities have to ensure they remain isolated at home. Those who have only received one dose of Covid vaccine will need to stay in 14-day institutional quarantine on their own expenses as per the previous conditions, said the notification. Every passenger will have to secure a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Bangladesh consulate in Kolkata and will have to manage a Covid-negative certificate within 72 hours. However, apart from the four categories, all India-returned passengers will have to maintain the mandatory institutional quarantine following the earlier regulations. Also read: Passengers can travel to India every day, but return on 3 days through Benapole Ahsan Habib, in-charge officer of the Benapole Immigration said according to the new notice India going passengers will not need to seek prior approval from the Home Ministry anymore. They have been following the directions of the circular from Sunday, he said.    

Indian authorities on Thursday night sent back as many as 10 Bangladeshi nationals, who had illegally entered the neighbouring country because of economic opportunity. The seven men and three women were handed over to the Benapole immigration police by India’s Petrapole immigration authorities at the Benapole land border. The 10 people have been identified as Roksana, Mahmuda, Golap Mia, Sakib Hossain, Russel Mia, Ayesha, Nayeem, Khokon, Sagor and Saju, belonging to Khulna, Narail and Narsingdi districts. Two NGOs -- Rights Jashore and Justice and Care -- later took the 10 men and women to their shelters. Also read: Benapole: BGB on high alert to prevent rawhide smuggling “The victims went to India’s Bengaluru city illegally with the help of brokers in the hope of finding well-paid jobs. Later they all were arrested by police and sentenced to three years in jail by Indian courts," said Towfiq, field officer of Rights Jashore. "An Indian NGO later kept them in their shelters after bailing them out. The victims were issued travel permits, following exchange of letters at both the country’s Home Ministry level," he said. Officer-in-Charge of Benapole immigration check post, Ahsan Habib said that the 10 Bangladeshis would need to spend 14 days in institutional quarantine. "After the mandatory isolation period, they will be handed over to their families." Also read: Two Bangladeshi women trafficked to India returns via Benapole

Indian authorities on Wednesday sent back two Bangladeshi women, who were trafficked to the country, through the Benapole border. The two women have been identified as Moushumi Khatun, 24, and Mariam Khatun, 25, residents of Sirajganj and Jashore districts, respectively. India’s Petrapole immigration authorities handed over the two women to their counterparts in Benapole this morning. Also read: Passengers can travel to India every day, but return on 3 days through Benapole Office-bearers of ‘Justice and Care’, an NGO in Jashore, Shaoli Sultana, said, "Moushumi and Mariam went to India’s Mumbai illegally with the hope of grabbing well-paid jobs but ended up getting risky jobs there." Tipped off, Indian cops arrested them and an NGO subsequently kept them at its shelter home, she said. The Indian police sent the women back to Bangladesh on travel permits following exchange of letters at Home Ministry level, said Shaoli. Also read: 304 enter through Benapole after fresh regulations Officer-in-Charge of Benapole immigration police said that after the immigration formalities, the two women were sent to the Benapole hotel to undergo the mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine.

Despite the extension of travel ban to India through land ports till July 31, passport-holding passengers are now allowed to travel through Benapole land port every day and return on only three weekdays. Collecting Covid-19 negative certificates and NOCs from Bangladesh High Commission in India passengers can return through the land port on Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday, said the Benapole immigration authority on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the police immigration process will remain open from 8am to 3pm every day. Also read: Benapole to allow entries from India on 3 days a week Before the travel ban imposed nine to ten thousand passengers used to move through the Beanpole land port. This has now decreased to 60 to 70 passengers a day.  Officer-in-Charge of Benapole immigration Ahsan Habib said only the passengers who have passes issued from the Home Ministry and Bangladesh High Commission in India are moving through the port on applied conditions now. In general travel for all passengers will not be possible yet considering the extension of border closure, he said. India returnee passengers have to remain in a minimum of 14-day institutional quarantine in hotels of Benapole and Jashore, he added. Sub Director of beanpole port Mamun Tarafdar said, BGB police and port security patrol the area to ensure Indian truck drivers remain within the port area. Also read: 304 enter through Benapole after fresh regulations Commissioner of Benapole Customs house Azizur Rahman said, export-import trade through the land port has remained normal, maintaining all the health guidelines.

A 52-year-old Bangladeshi, who recently returned from India, died at Jashore Chest Disease Hospital on Friday evening. The deceased was identified as Imdadul Haque, son of Barek Molla of Raninagar upazila in Naogaon district. Palash Kumar Das, supervisor at Jashore Chest Disease Hospital, said that Imdadul had gone to India with his wife for medical treatment as he was a cancer patient. As he was a last stage cancer patient, doctors in India asked him to go back. On May 24, the couple returned to the country through Benapole land port. Also Read: Another India returnee dies in Jashore quarantine Upon their arrival, the local administration sent the couple to Jashore Chest Disease Hospital to undergo institutional quarantine, where Imdadul breathed his last at 6.30 pm. Also read: Woman kept under quarantine dies in Jashore However, both Imdadul and his wife tested negative for Covid-19. Imdadul's body has been sent to his native village for burial, hospital officials said.

A 10-year-old boy, who returned from India with his mother and maternal uncle on May 5, has tested positive for Covid-19. The child, a cancer patient, was admitted to the dedicated Covid care facility at Jahsore General Hospital on Wednesday night, said Sharsha Upazila Health officer Dr Yusuf Ali. Read:11 more India returnees test positive for Covid-19 The boy had gone to India for treatment, along with his mother and maternal uncle. On May 5, the trio returned home through Benapole Port and were sent to Jashore Quarantine Centre. "Following government directives, the samples of the three were sent for testing and the report came on Wednesday night. Only the boy has tested positive for Covid-19," said Sheikh Abu Shahin, Jashore Civil Surgeon. Meanwhile the 14-day mandatory quarantine period of the family is now over and the local administration has provided a release order to the boy’s mother and uncle. As India has been experiencing a new strain of Covid-19, the government imposed restrictions along the border areas of Bangladesh. According to the World Health Organisation, the Indian variant has already spread to 60 countries across the world. Read:36 India returnees sent to Cumilla for institutional quarantine Bangladeshi citizens currently travelling to India for treatment and having visas with validity for less than 15 days could enter Bangladesh only through Benapole, Akhaura and Burimari after taking permission from Bangladesh diplomatic missions in New Delhi, Kolkata, and Agartala, and with a mandatory Covid-negative certificate.  

An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of police was held Monday for allegedly raping a 22-year-old woman who was under institutional quarantine in Khulna city after returning from India. Sadar police arrested ASI Mokleshur Rahman soon after the woman had filed a case against him today, Khulna Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (South) Anwar Hossain confirmed. Also read: Woman kept under quarantine dies in Jashore "Mokhlesur, posted at the Khulna Metropolitan Police Court, was assigned to the Primary Teachers Training Institute (PTI) quarantine centre on May 1," Anwar said. "Today the woman filed a written case with Khulna Sadar Police Station accusing Mokleshur of raping her at the quarantine facility Friday." According to the First Information Report (FIR), the woman alleged that she was sent to 14-day mandatory quarantine at PTI, soon after returning from India on May 4; during the quarantine, Mokleshur and she had a romantic attachment and the policeman sexually assaulted her on May 14.

Another Bangladeshi who returned from India died in institutional quarantine in Jashore on Sunday afternoon. Bimal Chandra Dey, 58, a resident of Shariatpur upazila died around 5pm at Jashore Chest Disease Hospital. Also read: Woman kept under quarantine dies in Jashore Civil Surgeon Sheikh Abu Shaheen said Bimal went to India for lung cancer treatment with his son and daughter-in-law. They returned through Benapole on May 8 and have been staying at the hotel in quarantine. Also read: 3 India returnee students test Covid positive Bimal was taken to the hospital around 5pm as his condition started deteriorating, said the Civil Surgeon. “He and his family members tested negative in an antigen test. Their samples were collected for the RT-PCR test,” he said. Also read: Bangladesh sees only 363 new Covid cases as sample testing falls amid Eid The body was taken to Shariatpur with the help of police, Civil Surgeon Shaheen said. On May 13, Ambia Khatun, 34, a Covid positive India returnee suffering from kidney diseases died in Jashore during institutional quarantine.